Happy surprises
by dragondaysareover
Summary: Sequel to 'Private victories'. The date.


They reached Quinn's building. She opened her bag and rummaged around and took out her keys. Rachel waited patiently until she zipped her bag close.

'Well…' Quinn whispered 'I had so much fun tonight' she smiled.

Rachel's lips twitched into a huge and goofy grin.

'I had fun too'

Quinn ducked her head down with embarrassment. She took a step closer to her, which was mirrored by Rachel.

'We should do it again' Quinn said in a husky voice. They were just a few inches away from each other 'Hang out'

Rachel took her gaze to her lips, hypnotized by the way she moved them when she spoke.

'Yes…' she said, barely in a whisper. She closed her eyes and tilted her head to the right, anticipating the moment she was waiting for the whole night.

Quinn tilted her head to the left, her eyes closed and her mouth slightly open.

Their noses collided, interrupting the magic of the moment.

'Sorry' Rachel chuckled.

Quinn bit her lip and after a few seconds, that seemed like ages, she cupped her cheeks and leaned over, capturing her lips between her own. She sweetly brushed and sucked them while caressing her cheeks with her thumbs. Rachel parted her mouth to let her know she was willing to deepen the kiss. And so Quinn did.

After their tongues danced together, a wave of heat and arousal traveled through their bodies.

They pulled away slowly, breathing each other's air. Rachel let go of Quinn's waist –she barely noticed she had wrapped her in her arms to keep her close- and marveled at the soft touch of her fingertips. She opened her eyes to find Quinn looking at her longingly, with blown pupils. She smiled with the sweetest of smiles.

'We should totally do it again' said Rachel, making Quinn giggle.

Quinn dropped her hands slowly and took Rachel's and with a gentle squeeze she said 'I'll call you tomorrow' she paused to see her reaction 'If you want'

Rachel nodded with a smile 'I'll be waiting' she stood on tiptoes and pecked her.

She took a couple of steps backwards, still looking at Quinn, to finally spin around and head home.

Quinn stood there watching her leaving long enough to see her look at her over the shoulder and wave shyly at her, with a smile on her face.

Quinn opened the entrance door and waited for the lift. When she got inside she took out her cell and began texting.

'_I'm home'_ she waited until Sam replied.

'**How was it?**'

'_Perfect :)'_

She didn't receive a reply, but her phone started buzzing and Sam's photo appeared on the screen.

'_Hey_' he greeted cheerfully.

'Hey' she replied just the same way.

'_Okay, spill_'

Quinn chuckled 'What do you wanna know?'

'_Where did you guys go?_'

'We went to an Italian restaurant downtown' Sam hummed attentively 'Did you know she's a vegan?'

'_Really?_'

'Yeah. Well, she tries being vegan, but she says sometimes it's hard and has to do some exceptions, so she's more of a vegetarian'

Sam hummed again thoughtfully '_But we don't usually serve soy milk_'

'That's one of her exceptions' both friends chuckled.

'_So what else? How is she?_'

Quinn smiled, remembering her date 'She's so funny!' she bit her lip 'She's studying in NYADA'

'_Wow. What is she studying?_'

'Musical theater'

'_Nice_'

'She's studying with her two friends'

'_The ones who were with her?_'

'Yup' she went to her room and lay down on her bed. She started giggling when she remembered a conversation with Rachel.

'_What?_'

'She told me her friends helped her ask me out. Remember that guy with the mohawk that hit on me?'

'_Aha_'

'Turns out he's a friend of hers. She asked him to hit on me to see how I reacted'

Sam burst out laughing '_Are you serious?_' he was still laughing.

Quinn nodded, as if he was able to notice it through the line 'And she asked her friends to order cappuccinos to see if I made a heart only in hers'

'_Wow, she really did her research_'

'Yeah' she giggled 'Isn't it cute?'

'_I think you have a bigger crush on her, if that's even possible_' he joked.

Quinn let out a light groan and pouted.

'She's so sweet' she melted 'And bubbly. It's like you can't be sad or angry around her and…' she paused and bit her lip 'and that feels so good'

Sam smiled in understanding.

Rachel was arriving to her building when two people approached her. She jumped in surprise and found out they were Mercedes and Kurt.

'Jesus Christ, guys, you scared me!' complained Rachel.

'What happened? Where did you go?' asked Mercedes.

Rachel widened her eyes, bemused.

'Did you kiss her?' Kurt inquired.

'Guys, stop!' Rachel chuckled.

'Ugh. C'mon, we've been waiting quite a long time!' said Mercedes with a snort.

'What?' Rachel looked at them in shock, holding back a laugh.

'We've been waiting in the car for you to come' Kurt informed 'We wanted to see if you came back alone or with her' he waggled his eyebrows.

Rachel rolled her eyes.

'How was it, Rachel?' asked Mercedes.

Rachel tried to hold back a smile, but failed, her cheeks reddening. Both Mercedes and Kurt reacted at her embarrassment with aw's and oh's.

'It was really great. Perfect, actually' Kurt clapped his hands enthusiastically 'And, yes,' she looked at him 'we kissed'

Kurt held out his hand for her to high five and then nudged Mercedes, who rolled her eyes.

'They kissed. You owe me 10'

Rachel gaped at the conversation her friends were having, shocked by the fact that they had a bet about her date.

'But she came home alone, so we're even'

'Oh, crap!' Kurt exclaimed.

'How many bets have you two made?' she asked them.

'Nah, just those two' Kurt replied.

'And you've been waiting for me in the car?'

'Yeah. But don't worry, we had pizza' Kurt informed.

'And Whitney' added Mercedes.

'We planned waiting for you until you came back. With her or on your own' Kurt explained.

'And if it got late, then we would go home and interrogate you tomorrow'

Rachel opened the door and got in, holding it so that they could come in too.

'You guys are sick in the head' she chuckled and walked ahead of them towards the lift. Kurt held her by the shoulders and squeezed.

'Stop beating about the bush and spill everything!'

She turned her head and smiled goofily.

'She's perfect!' she exclaimed with bright eyes 'She's just so sweet and fun!'

Rachel opened the door of her apartment and the three of them got in. They left their coats and jacket on the rack and headed to Rachel's bedroom. They sat on the bed, Kurt and Mercedes in front of Rachel.

She clasped her hands together enthusiastically and beamed.

* * *

Rachel waited until Quinn got out.

'Hey' Quinn greeted and Rachel turned around and glanced at the almost perfect figure in front of her. She was wearing a black dress with red birds and she had her hair down, her locks hanging in beautiful waves.

'Hi' she breathed out 'Wow' it slipped out of her mouth, making Quinn blush 'You look beautiful' her face was even redder and she ducked her head down.

'Thank you' she replied.

Rachel informed her she had made a reservation in an Italian restaurant and Quinn was surprised by the gesture.

On their way to the restaurant, and as an ice-breaker, Rachel told her she was studying at NYADA with Kurt and Mercedes.

'Really? Wow, that's amazing!' Quinn exclaimed 'What do you study?'

'Musical theater' she replied.

'So you met them at NYADA?'

'No, we've known each other since high school. We're from Lima, Ohio.'

'How was the change? Was it hard getting used to New York?'

'No, it was great! This city is amazing! It's like you can't ever get bored'

'Yeah, there are lots of things to do and discover here'

'And I'm so lucky we're together in this. They're my best friends'

Quinn smiled sweetly at her.

'What about you? Are you from here?'

'Yeah. I study at NYU'

'What do you study?'

'Dramatic Literature'

Rachel gaped in surprise and excitement.

'Are you serious?' she squealed. Quinn giggled and nodded 'Do you act too?'

'Yeah, I have some acting courses' she replied smiling 'I really do like to perform'

Rachel clapped her hands enthusiastically 'I'd love to see you perform'

Quinn laughed, her cheeks blushing 'And I'd love to hear you sing'

'I'll take note of it' Rachel replied 'For an upcoming date' she suggested with a smile.

'Fair enough'

When they arrived at the restaurant, they were ushered to their table.

They placed their order quickly and waited for their meals. Rachel ordered wine for the two of them and Quinn was surprised by the drink choice.

'And how long have you been studying here? Is this your first year?' Quinn inquired.

'My second year' she replied 'You?'

'My third'

'How long have you been working at the café?'

'Since I started college. I needed the money to pay the rent and help my mother with the tuition'

Rachel noticed she just said 'mother' instead of 'parents', but she didn't want to push just yet.

'That's how you met your friend? The blonde one?'

'That's Sam' she informed 'Yes, we met at the café. He's become one of my best friends'

'He's cute. Mercedes and Kurt were drooling over him when they saw him' Rachel giggled.

'Really?' Quinn giggled along with her…

* * *

'Wait, what?!' both Kurt and Mercedes raised their voices.

Rachel stopped, taken aback by their reaction 'What?'

'You told her we drooled over her friend?' Kurt asked, holding his face in embarrassment.

'You guys _were _drooling over him' Rachel crossed her arms in a mocking way.

'No we weren't' Kurt replied in self-defense. Rachel gave him a look of not buying it.

'Maybe a little' Mercedes conceded, rolling her eyes.

'Oh my god! What if he likes one of us back?' Kurt looked at Mercedes with hope in his eyes.

'Sorry, Kurt, he's straight'

'You said so about Quinn and looked who's had a date with Rachel' he gestured at her and Rachel beamed at the memory of the date, temporarily oblivious of her friends 'Plus, he's so gay. Just look at his hair!'

'You also said Quinn wasn't gay, so cut it, Kurt'

'Maybe he's bi' Rachel added trying to pacify. Kurt and Mercedes stayed silent for a couple of seconds.

'I saw him first' Mercedes broke the silence, pointing at Kurt in a threatening way.

'Oh, no way, Cedes. I saw him first' Kurt shook his head and brushed his forelock.

'You have one and a half diopters of myopia; you had to wait until he was closer to check him. So technically I saw him first' Mercedes argued.

Kurt gaped and placed his hand on his chest theatrically 'You turned to look when I referred to him!'

Mercedes widened her eyes and tried to hold back a laugh by gaping 'Libel and slander!'

'Okay, guys' Rachel interrupted 'Guys!' she raised her voice to catch their attention 'Can I go on with my debriefing, please?'

Kurt and Mercedes turned their attention to Rachel and gestured at her to go on with her story.

* * *

'Really?' Quinn giggled along with her 'He's so sweet too. He encouraged me to ask you on a date' she admitted coyly.

'Aw' Rachel bit her lip 'My friends helped me too. Well, I also asked them to help me, but you know… They gave me the little push'

Rachel explained how they came up with the idea of asking Puck to flirt with her. They waiter came with their wine and placed the bottle on the table after serving them.

'He was rather direct' Quinn admitted.

'Well, he was under pressure' Rachel quirked up her eyebrow as she sipped from her glass, a smirk on her lips.

She then told her Kurt and Mercedes saw Sam gesturing at Quinn and realized Quinn liked her back.

'I was about to ask you out, but I freaked out' Quinn explained, embarrassed 'And then you came back and already did it'

The same waiter came with their meals. Quinn had ordered ravioli filled with meat and cheese and Rachel tofu and spinach cannelloni.

'Do you wanna try?' Quinn held out her fork with some raviolis in it.

'No, thank you. I'm a vegan'

Quinn raised her eyebrows in surprise and looked at Rachel's meal, realizing it was a vegan dish.

'Oh, I didn't know that' she retreated the fork and looked at it guiltily.

'It's okay' Rachel reassured, noticing the change in her gaze, which she found too cute. Quinn smiled and took it to her mouth, still doubtful.

'Then I should tell you we don't usually serve soy milk unless the client specifies it'

'I noticed. It tasted differently' Quinn was still surprised.

'I try being a vegan, especially when I'm home. But sometimes when I go out I make some exceptions'

'So our cappuccino is one of those exceptions?' Quinn asked playfully and the brunette smiled sweetly at her.

Rachel pricked her cannelloni and offered to Quinn, who complied.

'Mmm' she shut her eyes and hummed in pleasure 'It's delicious!' she opened her eyes and saw Rachel smiling widely at her, with a hint of triumph 'I've never had vegan food before, to be honest'

'There are lots of delicious vegan recipes. Kurt sometimes eats them with me. He's not a vegan, he just likes the food'

'I should eat it more often'

After a couple of minutes focusing on their meals –Rachel was starving-, Quinn broke the silence.

'So how did you find out about the café?'

Rachel swallowed her food and wiped her mouth with the napkin 'I got out of my dance class and I had an appointment with a friend soon after. I didn't have enough time to go home and change, so I just strolled about and the sign caught my attention' she explained.

'I remember seeing you with your sport bag and your sport clothes' Quinn admitted shyly.

Rachel widened her eyes in surprise 'Wow' she chuckled 'You have good memory'

Quinn blushed and ducked her head down 'Well, I guess I have good memory when I'm interested'

Rachel beamed and bit her lip, trying not to be so obvious on her excitement.

'Were you really interested in me since the first time I went to the café?' she asked with a shy and flirty voice.

The blonde blushed yet once again and tilted down her head in embarrassment 'It could be' she admitted with a giggle.

'I'm just curious' Rachel leaned forward a little bit, as if she was gonna tell her a secret that no one could hear 'How did you come up with the idea of the foam heart?'

Quinn laughed and it was like heaven's music to Rachel's ears.

'I wanted to do something special for you' she began 'At first I thought about a cookie or a chocolate but I dismissed it because it was too ambiguous' Rachel looked at her attentively and with a hint of admiration in her eyes that captivated her 'So I asked Sam what I could do'

'What did he say?'

'I was learning how to make latte art and he told me 'why don't you draw a heart or something on her coffee?' so I got on with it' she finished with a smile that got wider with the 'aw' that came from Rachel's mouth.

Quinn took a sip from her wine and Rachel glance at her, trying to decipher if she'd made the right choice.

'Did your friend tell you I like wine?' Quinn inquired and Rachel rolled her eyes in an innocent way.

'It could be' both girls giggled…

* * *

'Did you tell her you got us to google wine brands?' Mercedes asked, a little bit embarrassed.

Rachel groaned and rolled her eyes 'Maybe I did' she admitted and waited for the complaints.

'Rachel!' both Kurt and Mercedes exclaimed 'Now she thinks we're ridiculous!'

'She doesn't!' Rachel defended herself 'She thinks it's cute!'

'Did you tell her that you've spent the whole afternoon memorizing brands, types and all kind of stuff about wine?' Kurt asked her.

'You even had us testing you!'

Rachel crossed her arms over her chest and looked away with a huff. Both Kurt and Mercedes gasped theatrically.

'I'm so gonna tell her when I get to know her' Mercedes threatened, making Rachel gape in horror.

'No you're not!'

'Yes I am, first thing after we're introduced'

'No! Wait!' Kurt interrupted 'We can keep this in the down low so we can blackmail her when we need it'

'Oh you're sheer genius, Kurt!' Mercedes high fived him.

Rachel still had her arms cross but this time she was pouting and her friends giggled and patted her leg playfully.

'We're teasing!' Kurt reassured her 'Now, go on, go on!'

* * *

'You know, I don't know much about wine,' Rachel elaborated 'so I asked Kurt and Mercedes to help me look for the best wines'

'That's cute' Quinn smiled sweetly at her 'I liked it, by the way' she tilted her glass and Rachel smiled smugly.

Rachel took some cannelloni into her mouth and chewed it quietly, looking attentively at Quinn who was also eating her ravioli.

'So what do you wanna do when you finish college?' Rachel asked her.

Quinn swallowed her food and hummed thoughtfully 'I'd love to work in theater' she explained 'Writing plays or directing them. Maybe some acting, as part of the ensemble perhaps'

'Why didn't you apply for NYADA? Maybe we would've met before'

Quinn smiled at her idea 'It's not that I didn't consider that option' she elaborated, smiling at how attentive Rachel looked 'But NYADA is more specified in the musical and performing side of theater. And I wanted to study other things aside from just acting'

'Like what?'

'This year I took up a workshop in playwriting and Women, Film and Social Change'

Rachel raised up her eyebrows 'Sounds interesting' she chuckled.

'They are' she assured before sipping from her wine 'Last year I took up one called Drama in Performance in New York. Sounds interesting, right?'

Rachel smiled and nodded 'It does. I think that would be more my thing' she giggled and Quinn joined.

'Well, turns out it sucked. The professor was _so_ boring, it's like they auditioned him for the role of most boring person on earth'

Rachel laughed at her description and bit her lip when Quinn pouted.

'It was so frustrating'

'I know how you feel' she pouted empathically 'Freshman year I had a dance teacher from hell'

'Too bossy?'

'Too irritating' she rolled her eyes at the memory 'She had it in for me and she made my first semester a living hell' she groaned.

'Was it just you or the rest of the class too?'

'All of us, but especially me'

Quinn smiled and shook slightly her head 'I'm sure she had her ulterior motives'

'Like bringing me down?' she asked jokingly and Quinn nodded.

'So that you could show her that you're really worth it' she waved her hand in an enlightening manner 'Maybe she was just preparing you for the hard and highly competitive world of musical theater'

Rachel puckered her lips in thought. She hadn't considered that option 'It could be…' she complied 'She didn't bring me down and I'm definitely prepared for the blood path that is this business' she chuckled.

'See?' she smiled sweetly at her 'If she was the most boring dance teacher on earth I'm sure you wouldn't be half as well trained as you are'

Rachel giggled and bit her lip, a little bit embarrassed 'How do you know I'm well trained if you haven't seen me?' she asked playfully, making Quinn blush.

'I don't, but I can feel it' she rubbed her indexes against her temples 'I have a sixth sense for successful people' and Rachel cracked up in laughter.

'Okay, okay' she said when their laughter muffled 'So we agree that she had her good intentions?'

'Sure, why not?' Quinn replied, taking a mouthful of ravioli 'Or maybe she had an illicit crush on you' she smirked mischievously, making Rachel gape and burst out laughing.

'I don't think so. She was doing one of the juniors back then'

'Wow'

Rachel chuckled 'Yes, wow'

Quinn smiled and locked eyes with Rachel, who smiled back just as sweetly.

'What about you?' the blonde asked 'What are your plans for the future?'

'Obviously winning a Tony' they both giggled and then Rachel waved it off 'Just kidding. Well, not exactly' she chuckled at Quinn's confused expression 'I obviously want to win a Tony, but first I have to be part of a successful musical' she grinned at the picture of herself in the most important theaters in Broadway 'As soon as I hear about any audition I'll try it out'

'Sounds great' Quinn smiled calmly at her.

'I know I have the talent, I'm just looking for the opportunity'

Quinn took her glass and held it out 'To finding the opportunity'

Rachel mimicked her with a grin on her face and made a toast.

'You know' Quinn said after sipping from her wine 'My sixth sense tells me you'll be huge'

Rachel giggled but shook her head and rolled her eyes skeptically.

'And I really mean it' the blonde added with a calm face, the truth of her words reaching her eyes and Rachel saw it, feeling a warm wave of security and self-esteem running through her body.

She mouthed a 'thank you' which was responded by a tender smile. Rachel turned her attention back to her food.

'What roles would you like to play?'

'Mmm' Rachel hummed, thinking 'If they made a revival of Funny Girl I would totally kill for that part' she replied pointing out with her knife, which made Quinn widen her eyes playfully 'But I would love' she dragged the word 'to be part of an original musical' she explained as Quinn listened to her as if she was the only person in the world 'I would go crazy if I saw in Spotify the album of my musical and it said' she trailed an imaginary sign with her hands '_From the original cast of'_ she hummed a pause for the tittle '_sung by Rachel Berry_'…

* * *

'_Q, are you there?'_ Sam asked when he noticed she'd fallen silent.

'Hmm?' she hummed, shaken out of her thoughts 'Sorry' she chuckled.

'_What just happened?_' he laughed.

'I was just thinking…' she whispered and sat up 'She was smiling throughout the whole date'

'_That's good'_

'I was smiling throughout the whole night too'

'_That's good too'_ he chuckled, realizing where her mind had drifted away to a moment ago.

'Isn't it weird?'

'_Why?_' her friend asked in confusion.

'I don't know' she giggled 'I barely remember the last date I had where I wasn't bored or disappointed'

'_I know, you haven't been lucky lately'_

'It's so weird, like' she tried to explain 'like, is she real? Isn't she a product of my imagination?' she chuckled as if she didn't made sense of her own words.

'_Quinn'_ Sam replied in a gentle tone '_It's not weird. It is exactly what you always wanted'_ he chuckled along with her '_And needed_' he added '_You're just still in that post-date haziness'_

Quinn laughed and let out a 'what?' in between her laughter.

'_Yeah_' he laughed along '_Post-date haziness. It's the new concept in dating and relationship'_ he chuckled_ 'It is when you're dazed and awestruck after a good date but you're kinda worried that it was just a matter of luck because your previous experiences were disasters'_

'Yeah… of Belvederian proportions' she whispered more to herself, but Sam didn't miss it and laughed 'You just made that up, right?'

'_Maybe'_ he confessed making Quinn crack up '_But admit that it is what's happening to you'_

She hummed in agreement 'Maybe she freaks out'

'_Why do you think so? If what you're telling me is any clue, I think she won't_'

'I may have kissed her' she wrinkled her nose and shut her eyes, sucking on her tongue, as if the gesture could shield her from the embarrassment that struck her all of a sudden.

'_Awesome!'_ he exclaimed cheerfully '_Look, Quinn,' _his tone was serious_ 'just let go of bad experiences and enjoy this one. She looks nice and you seem happy'_ Quinn processed his words, a smile appearing on her lips '_And she won't freak out because you're awesome'_

She giggled and bit her lip 'Thank you, Sam' she said sweetly, her smile not fading away.

'_You're welcome'_ she could sense him smiling '_So, you kissed her, uh?'_

'I did' she almost squealed at the memory and Sam laughed.

'_You know, normal people wait until the third date'_ he teased.

She laughed 'Shut up!' she lay back down on the mattress 'Normalcy is overrated'

He hummed in agreement and went on '_How was it?'_

She bit her lip and grinned at the memory 'Breathtakingly sweet' she giggled 'and mind-blowing'

'_Wow'_ he laughed '_I wonder if she's talking about tonight too'_

And she was.

Kurt was lying on his stomach, resting his head on his hands and listening attentively and dreamily at Rachel. Mercedes was sitting beside Rachel, who had her legs folded.

'Okay, I have an important question' Kurt managed to raise his hand and Rachel nodded so that he would go on 'Did you ask her what her favorite musical is?'

Mercedes rolled her eyes and chuckled and Rachel leaned forward and looked at him intensely.

'The Rocky Horror Picture Show. She played Magenta in high school' Kurt widened her eyes 'And she went to see Cats when she was a kid before it closed and loved it!' she grinned.

Kurt grinned too and sat up on his knees, sticking out a questioning finger 'What does she think of Wicked?'

'I didn't ask her'

'Rachel!' he interrupted in shock 'That's the first thing! She has to pass the Wicked filter!'

'Just let me finish' she scolded him, while Mercedes watched them in amusement 'I didn't ask her, but when I said it was one of my favorites she smiled and raised her eyebrows like in surprise. Happy surprise, I'd say' she clasped her hands together and beamed.

'Oh my god! She passed the filter! I officially approve of Quinn' he high fived her joyfully.

Mercedes patted her on the shoulder in a mocking way 'Yay!'

Rachel turned to face her and chuckled 'I'll let you know that she likes The Supremes, James Brown, Michael Jackson…' she singsonged as she watched how her friend's features lit up.

'Okay, Rachel, you've got my permission to marry her'

They laughed and Rachel couldn't stop smiling.

'So what else did you talk about?' Kurt asked after a while.

'About music, high school' she replied 'She was captain of the cheerleaders'

'No wonder where that toned butt comes from' Kurt agreed nonchalantly, making Rachel furrow her brow and purse her lips.

'Have you been leering at her ass?' Rachel inquired reproachfully.

'Oh, c'mon' he rolled his eyes 'As if you haven't done that too!' he teased and Rachel cleared her throat, taking her gaze away in defeat 'Plus, it wasn't leering, it was appreciating. I do it with everyone'

Mercedes laughed and Rachel gave him a suspicious look.

'She has a nice butt, Rachel' Mercedes interceded 'And body' Rachel's grin appeared once again 'Now go on'

'Okay' she resumed her story 'So we talked about music, high school, college…' she trailed off in thought 'I asked her about her parents. I was a little bit nervous about the question as I didn't know if it was too bold of me, but she wasn't mad at me for asking' she rattled off nervously.

'So what happened to her parents?' asked Mercedes.

'They divorced when she was sixteen. Her father left them for another woman'

'What a jerk' Kurt exclaimed.

'I know' she replied with a sad tone 'But she says she and her mom are fine now' she rested her head on Mercedes' shoulder. Kurt smiled mirroring his friends.

After a few moments Mercedes spoke again:

'I'm missing something'

'Popcorn?' Kurt suggested.

'I mean, from the story' she chuckled 'But I wouldn't say no to popcorn' she casted a glance at Rachel, who shook her head apologetically.

'You guys finished them off last night'

Both Kurt and Mercedes pouted.

'What are you missing Cedes?' Rachel asked, returning to their subject of conversation.

'Who paid?' she asked seriously.

'That's it?' Rachel replied with curiosity and Mercedes nodded 'I paid. But she made me promise I'll let her buy me dinner next time' she grinned.

'Wow, such a gentlewoman' Mercedes nudged her.

'You walked her home?' Kurt inquired.

Rachel nodded triumphantly 'I like treating my ladies right. I like the old-fashioned courtship'

* * *

Quinn chivalrously held the door of the restaurant open for Rachel. The cool breeze brushed their skin as they walked down the street, still giggling about that time that Rachel corrected all the spelling mistakes of a love letter and gave it back to her suitor.

'What did he say?' Quinn asked amusedly.

'We haven't spoken since' she wrinkled her nose and laughed.

Quinn looked at her dreamily and smiled sweetly. She felt great, alive. They were standing near the corner of the street.

'So, do you wanna go somewhere else?' the blonde asked.

Rachel took a look at her watch and grimaced 'Should be something quick. Tomorrow I have an early class' she explained with a hint of sadness in her voice. She didn't wanna go home just yet.

Quinn's smile turned into a sad pout.

'You should've told me' she replied 'We could have had dinner any other day…' she trailed off, her tone regretful, and bit her lip nervously.

'And miss a date with the cute barista?' she asked playfully, watching how she blushed and smiled just as sweetly as before 'Never' the blonde giggled and ducked her head down, flattered by the compliment 'Don't worry about it, next time we'll have plenty of time' she smiled at her coyly as she nodded 'I'll walk you home. You live closer'

They went to the nearest metro stop and got in. They were holding onto the railing and Quinn couldn't take her eyes off of her. It was like being under a spell and her smile was the wizard. And her eyes; her eyes were windows to a fascinating and awe-inspiring world that she wanted to know better.

Rachel caught her staring at her and smiled shyly. Quinn blushed and tilted down her head to hide her redness.

'You didn't have to walk me home' she finally said 'The metro entrance would have been just fine' she made eye-contact again and the intensity of Rachel's gaze blew her away.

Rachel shook her head slightly 'That's unconceivable for me' she replied with a smile, but meaning every word of it.

When they arrived to Quinn's stop and got out, Quinn flexed her arm so that Rachel could tuck hers in. The brunette smiled at her and locked arms with her.

The walk back Quinn's place was quiet and comfortable; she told Rachel where she usually went shopping –in the small supermarket from a couple of streets down her apartment- and where the second-hand book store where she usually bought books was. She told her how happy she was with the location of her apartment.

'It's the second apartment I live in' she explained 'Freshman year I lived in Brooklyn in this tiny and cold apartment'

'I don't know which is worse, a tiny place or a cold one'

'I know, I had both of them!' they both chuckled 'So the year after I moved to this one and I just love it'

'That's great' Rachel replied softly.

They reached Quinn's building. She opened her bag and rummaged around and took out her keys. Rachel waited patiently until she zipped her bag close.

'Well…'

* * *

'_That's when you kissed her?'_ asked Sam.

'Yup'

'_I don't see why you're so worried about the date. I think it went more than well'_ he chuckled.

'I know' she pouted 'I'm just being paranoid' she paused for a while 'So you think this could work?'

'_I do'_ he replied seriously '_I'm ninety-five percent sure about it_'

'What's wrong with the five percent left?'

'_I need to see how next date plays out. If it goes just half as good as this one then it's settled'_

Quinn giggled and hummed 'I'm gonna look for the best vegan restaurant in New York' they both laughed.

After a pause, a thought crossed Quinn's mind.

'Sam?'

'_Quinn?' _she chuckled.

'I'll call you back later, okay?'

'_Sure' _he hummed in surprise '_Damn, it's kinda late, I should finish my paper. See you, Q'_

'See you, Sammie'

Meanwhile, Rachel was still describing the softness and warmth of Quinn's lips as a smiling Mercedes and an attentive Kurt listened to her.

'So she'll call you tomorrow?' Mercedes asked.

'Yes!' she almost shrieked 'Well, I hope so' she added in concern 'Do you think she'll call me?'

Kurt nodded seriously 'She will, Rach' Mercedes draped her arm around her shoulder and squeezed in agreement 'It's obvious that you two have more chemistry than Sawyer and Juliet' both Mercedes and Rachel frowned in confusion at his comparison.

Rachel smiled anyway 'I'm really excited about this' she added in a more serious tone. Talking about how great her date had been was one thing; it was funny and joyful when Kurt and Mercedes were the listeners. But it was a different thing talking about her expectations and actual wishes. It hadn't happened to her before, connecting with someone so instantly. Of course she'd been infatuated before and, as she learned the hard way, infatuation was fleeting. Never had she felt that it wasn't just short-lived infatuation but something deeper that was blossoming. And it scared her but thrilled her at the same time.

'She's not just a pretty face' she added 'She's more than that, I can feel it' her friends smiled at her. A reassuring smile that told her that it wasn't just her imagination 'And I really want to get to know her better'

'And we'll be there to google wine brands whenever you need it' Mercedes replied and Kurt nodded in agreement.

Rachel beamed and closed her eyes, moved by their words 'C'mere you two'

When they were hugging, Rachel's phone buzzed and she hurried to check it. She beamed when she saw Quinn's name on the screen.

'**Hey beautiful :) '**

'**Just wanted to wish you very sweet dreams and sleep tight :) '**

Kurt and Mercedes noticed her goofy and coy smile and asked her if it was Quinn, but her bubble kept the rest of the world out so that it was just Quinn and her.

'_Hey gorgeous!'_

Her grin and the way she tilted her head aside didn't go unnoticed to her expectant friends, who had already guessed it was the blonde texting.

'_I certainly will after tonight ;) '_

'_Have a pleasant and peaceful night. Xx '_

She looked up at her friends and walked back to the bed with her face lit up like the very sun.

* * *

**So, here's the sequel! Hope you guys like it :)**


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